Your Brother Keith

Keith and I met shortly after I had moved to Longmont and had separated from my little girl’s father. I moved in with my mother and got a job as a waitress at the Dicken’s. Keith started working there almost the same time and I was instantly attracted to him even though he was almost 15 years my elder. His intelligence, humor, charm, and charisma drew me to him. I definitely pursued him and he fought it for a while but over time he grew to love me, my daughter, and my family (especially my mother, Sheila who also worked there). I relied on Keith for emotional, and moral support while I pursued my bachelor’s degree in finance and he even came to my graduation in 1998 even though we were no longer together, just to support me. During our time together he painted many of his narrative paintings like “the animal is in the world like water in water”, “The readymade of Bill’s arm”, “Mr. Reno: headless, horseless” and “a pre-post-structural September” which I believe was fashioned after one of our camping trips together.

Keith, though never really into kids became so fond of my daughter, Tia, who is now reaching her 16th birthday. She was just an infant when we were dating, and he proudly held her behind the bar while he served his customers, while my mother finished her shift and I began mine. He called her his “little bug” and always asked her “who’s your buddy who’s your pal” and she would exclaim “You are!” He couldn’t have been more devoted if he was her own father. When he left, we had been talking about the “next level” in our relationship and he was not ready for that commitment. We kept in contact while he was in Tahoe but the subject of marriage was not one of his favorite topics to discuss. I figured at that point that it was not meant to be. I never thought of him as the marrying kind.

I have never let his memory leave my heart and I think of him often. The last time I saw or spoke to him was summer 2005, after I left my husband (whom I met directly before Keith returned from the failed restaurant in Tahoe). John Mostek returned to the area for a visit and approached me about getting together with Keith just to reminisce, so we contacted him and met at his apartment above the church and had dinner later. As I left, he gave me a hug and kiss that was so special and waved as we drove down the street.
Kelly Parsons, June 30, 2008

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